1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the manufacture of tags, particularly asset tags having a metallic heft and appearance.
2. Description of Related Art
Anodized aluminum asset tags have become a well established means for identification of capital equipment belonging to facilities such as offices, medical treatment centers, laboratories, industrial production facilities, and mobile service providers. They are often applied to computer equipment, medical devices, laboratory instrumentation, and production machinery as a means of keeping track of such equipment for service, replacement and tax purposes; increasing the likelihood that theft would be detected; and simplifying insurance claims in the event of theft or loss. When applied by a manufacturer, such tags are useful for identification of the product for general product service, product warranty service and possible recall. The use of anodized aluminum asset tags for these end uses evolved from their sturdy metallic heft and appearance. Their sturdy metallic heft and appearance conveys a high perceived quality and, from a security standpoint, a sense of indestructibility and intent to enforce security measures. They are often perceived to be an essential component of responsible asset management.
One disadvantage of anodized aluminum asset tags is that on the one hand they are often only needed sporadically in small quantities while on the other hand they are not easy to manufacture in small production runs. Typically, anodized aluminum asset tags are manufactured by applying the required graphic and text information in reverse on the anodized aluminum substrate using conventional imaging processes such as screen printing, letterpress, and etching, all of which require the wasteful, time consuming and expensive step of making a master plate or screen for applying ink, or a mask in the case of etching, which must be stored for possible future use or destroyed after final use. The aluminum substrate having the required heft also requires the use of special printing, stamping, handling and die cutting equipment, which can undergo substantial wear and tear from contact with hard aluminum surfaces. There is also the cost of the aluminum itself to consider.
There is also an increasing desire to have variable information appear on asset tags such as a unique numeric or alphanumeric code associated with the records concerning the specific equipment to which it is attached, along with a corresponding bar code to minimize errors and worker time associated with entry of the same into a computer database. While printing of numeric sequences can be carried out using a mechanical device that automatically advances to the next number for each tag, such devices are not appropriate for generating a corresponding unique bar code. Generation of multiple varying bar codes generally requires a printer capable of producing computer-generated output, such as a mass transfer thermal printer, ink jet printer or electrophotographic printer. Such printers are generally not considered appropriate for use on anodized aluminum tag material.
Thus, there continues to be a need for asset tags having the heft and appearance of anodized aluminum asset tags and containing variable information that can be conveniently, quickly and inexpensively manufactured on demand using conventional printing, handling and die cutting equipment, which reduces the wear and tear on such equipment. The present invention overcomes these limitations.
One aspect of the present invention is an asset tag having a metallic heft and appearance comprising:
(A) A metallized polymer film having a front side and a back side, the front side optionally having a translucent print receptive layer;
(B) a first resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image covering a portion of the front side of the metallized polymer film such that at least one portion of the front side of the metallized polymer film is not covered by the first thermal mass transfer printer image; and
(C) an optional second resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image covering at least a portion of the first resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image such that at least one portion of the first resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image is not covered by the second resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image,
wherein the first resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image has a substantially opaque first color and the optional second resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image, when present, has a substantially opaque second color.
Another aspect of the present invention is a process for making an asset tag having a metallic heft and appearance comprising:
(A) Providing a metallized polymer film having a front side and a back side, the front side optionally having a translucent print receptive layer;
(B) Applying a first resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image having a substantially opaque first color to the front side of the metallized polymer film (A) such that at least one portion of the front side of the metallized polymer film (A) is not covered by the first thermal mass transfer printer image; and
(C) Optionally applying a second resin-based thermal mass transfer printer image having a substantially opaque second color over the first thermal mass transfer printer image (B) such that at least one portion of the first thermal mass transfer printer image (B) is not covered by the second thermal mass transfer printer image.
The present invention also includes tags obtainable by the above process and intermediates for making the same.